Garage Art: 30 Years of Hot Rods, Motorcycles and Kustom Kulture

I started Lethal Threat more than 30 years ago in a garage in the Bronx, New York. My passion for art, music, pop culture, motorcycles, hot rods and all things fast took me on a journey around the world.

Along the way, I collected custom-painted antiques, motorcycle art and unusual pieces of hot rod history. Some I found already finished. Others I put into the hands of talented artists who transformed them into something completely their own.

Now, I’m making pieces from my personal collection available through Lethal Threat’s Garage Art section. Before they find new homes, I wanted to share a little of the story behind them.

From a Bronx Garage to Shows Around the World

Over the years, I’ve attended and exhibited at motorcycle and car shows around the world, from the MOONEYES Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show in Japan to the INTERMOT motorcycle show in Cologne, Germany.

No matter where I went, I met people who shared the same passions: custom cars, motorcycles, incredible artwork and the personalities behind it all.

I would often come across a piece of art that spoke to me. Usually, it wasn’t a painting hanging on a wall. It was something connected to cars or motorcycles—an object with character, history or the potential to become something special.

Through Lethal Threat, we’ve built a network of artists around the world. Sometimes I would find an interesting antique and send it halfway around the globe to have it custom-painted. What came back was an old object with a whole new personality.

 

Working With Kiwi Terry

One of the artists I had the pleasure of working with was Kiwi Terry, a talented airbrush artist from New Zealand who made his home in Huntington Beach, California.

Some of you may remember his work from MTV’s Pimp My Ride, where beat-up cars were transformed with wild paint jobs, custom interiors and over-the-top details.

I met Terry at the SEMA Show almost 20 years ago when he stopped by the Lethal Threat booth. We hit it off immediately and went on to work together on many projects.

He painted panels for our trade show booth and airbrushed guitars, motorcycle helmets and even two hanging bomb replicas. In my opinion, nobody painted skulls quite like Terry.

Sadly, Terry has passed away. The pieces he painted for us carry more than his artwork—they bring back memories of a talented artist and friend.

Over the years, I built similar friendships with Kustom Kulture artists from around the world. I would come home with pieces of their work, and eventually those pieces filled our warehouse and my home.

A Route 66 Stop That Got Me Thinking

On a recent round trip from New York to California in our Lethal Threat van, I drove along parts of Route 66.

Somewhere on a quiet stretch of Oklahoma road, I spotted a sign for a car museum. I drove past it at first, then made a U-turn to take a look.

A woman greeted me at the entrance and told me admission was $5. Happy to contribute, I stepped into a large garage filled with more than 50 classic cars and memorabilia from the 1950s and 1960s.

After spending some time looking around, I got to talking with her. The collection had belonged to her late husband. Before he passed away, he had asked her to keep it on display so other people could enjoy it.

She was keeping that promise.

That stayed with me. What happens to all the things we collect once the Grim Reaper comes calling?

I don’t expect anyone to run a museum of my stuff. But I’ve collected some incredible motorcycle art, hot rod art and Kustom Kulture pieces that deserve to be seen and enjoyed.

Giving the Collection a New Home

It’s not easy to part with pieces you’ve collected over decades, especially when so many come with a story or a friendship attached.

But knowing that someone else will enjoy them in their garage, workshop, office or home makes it easier.

If you’ve shopped with Lethal Threat before, thank you. We’re a small business, and every customer matters to us. If you connect with our artwork and products, I think you’ll appreciate the character of this collection, too.

These are pieces collected by a gearhead, for other gearheads.

Explore Lethal Threat’s Garage Art Collection

We’ll be adding pieces to the Garage Art section, starting with smaller items before introducing larger pieces, including automotive grille art and furniture.

Many are one-of-a-kind originals or individually customized pieces. Once those sell, we won’t have another identical one to replace them.

If you’re looking for garage decor with a story behind it, take a look at the collection. You might find something that speaks to you the same way it spoke to me.

Visit our Garage Art collection to see what’s available.

Shipping is quoted separately and is not included in the listed prices. We’ll help arrange a suitable shipping option and take care in preparing each piece for its journey to your home.

 

https://lethalthreat.com/pages/collectors-vault